


Let Me Go

by PippinPips



Series: Zombie Apocalypse 'Verse [6]
Category: The Avengers (2012), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Angst and Humor, Charles kind of is, Erik is emotionally stunted, M/M, Pre-Slash, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-28
Updated: 2012-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 04:50:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/547791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PippinPips/pseuds/PippinPips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles can feel Erik pulling away, he sees it as Erik begins to leave him in a place that Erik thinks is best for him. </p>
<p>But the best place for him is right at Erik's side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me Go

**Author's Note:**

> You can all thank Wall (Floyd) for this story. Seeing as I was going to write more DJ but then she was like "I would like some ZA plz" and it was even her prompt that I was on.
> 
> Hahaha. I hope you enjoy it.

Charles, to be fair, is used to people leaving and being the person who leaves. In the end of the world he thinks that he should be keener on sticking with other people, to hold onto them until he no longer can. Except there is the tiny fact that if a person is around others that don’t care about their well-being it’s just as much as a death sentence as being alone in a creature infested city. He knows people go on their separate ways, and he accepts it. What he doesn’t accept is the way Erik starts to look almost a month into their joining with the “Avengers”, as they still call themselves. He sees the way Erik looks at the horizon like there is something else for him. Charles wants to pull him back and tell him that everything is fine, but he’ll leave too. He’ll leave is Erik leaves because Erik is a constant that Charles wants to keep.

Erik, the very man who protected him when he was sick, that wouldn’t let him fall down and wouldn’t leave him. Maybe it’s because he’s in love with him, Charles admits it as inconvenient as it is—it’s the truth. The idea of Erik leaving and then him never knowing if Erik will come back or if he’ll be left wandering what ever happened to the beautiful mind that is Erik’s all while he is dead in some ditch. No, Charles can’t handle those thoughts, so he watches Erik and tries not to be obvious about it. But Tony is there and Tony is one of Charles’ oldest friends. So when he smacks him on the back and hands a gun over to him, Charles just readies himself for it all.

“You know I was planning to have this conversation with Thor. Telling him that his brother just needs to get out see the world maybe freeze a few zombies while he’s trolling around, and mostly pretending to be sad when Loki just trounces off because Thor is sensitive about that particular matter.” Tony waves his hands as he speaks. “But you know, now that I am thinking about it, I don’t think your boy can freeze anything, and I am pretty sure that if I say that you should just let him go you’d tear off my face. Surprisingly it’s something more people would expect from Thor but eh, he’s more of the teddy bear type.”

“You thought right,” Charles agrees.

“So, here’s what I am going to tell you, because having my face ripped off is not my top priority, you should let him _try_ , read my lips Charlie before you shove a barrel in my face, _try_ to leave and then stop him and confess your utter undying love and how that when this is all over you’ll adopt all the gaybies in the world.” Charles just looks at Tony for a few moments.

“I can’t tell him that, I can’t say any of those words any better than you can tell Steve that you want him.”

“Hey! I tell Soldier Boy how much I like him daily,” Tony protests.

“You tease and insult him to the point where he looks like he might punch you if not for the fact that he seems to like you as well,” Charles corrects. Tony’s expression says it all even before he tells Charles.

“That’s what I said, I tell him daily. Anyway, just think on it because your moping is bringing everyone down, and I mean that literally. You’re projecting and everyone is sad, and I can’t explain it,” Tony tells him. Charles opens his mouth to respond but Tony is already getting up and going to talk to someone else. Once he’s left alone with his thoughts Charles tries to steer away from thinking about Erik leaving, but he can’t all he can see is Erik’s back, his broad shoulders and that torso that tapers down to his slim hips. Charles tries to shake it all away but then there’s Loki sitting next to him, not looking at him eyes staring off into the distance—or at least he’s pretending he’s not looking right at Thor.

Erik deals with Loki better—definitely not as well as Thor seems to, but no one does—and Charles just stays out of the way. He doesn’t dislike Loki, he just doesn’t know what to do with the man. He’s intelligent but there is also darkness in him that Charles recognizes as threads Erik.

“He’ll leave because he thinks it is for the best, and then he’ll regret it but he won’t come back because he left for a reason,” Loki says. He doesn’t look at Charles; it could be like he’s speaking to the air. “You have people that care and love you, and he just doesn’t think that he’s all that important in your eyes. That he will just drag you into the ashes.” Charles bites the inside of his cheek, just to keep from asking if Loki is speaking from experience and so that he doesn’t snap about everyone offering advice. He wasn’t aware he and Erik were that transparent. “If, if you don’t feel that way,” Loki pauses. “Don’t let him leave.” There is nothing else said for a while, Loki just keeps sitting next to him and Charles tries to think of something to say that won’t offend the Norse God.

He manages to roll around a few words in his head when he feels Steve’s mind focusing in on him and doing his own sort of pep talk. Not about Erik per se but about how sad he’s been. Charles scrambles to his feet, grabbing the shot gun as he does, and shoots off a muttered, “I’m going to talk to Erik” to Loki.

Erik’s on post with Clint, the both of them aren’t really talking too much, though as Charles approaches he can hear Clint make a few comments and Erik basically grunts in response. Charles only has to appear out of the shadows and Clint is already begging off talking about going further down the line to see how _Tasha_ is. There is only one short nod in response before Erik settles a little more into his spot, but Charles can see it as Erik calculates and plans. He hefts up his shot gun and takes the place Clint abandoned. Erik doesn’t even shift his gaze, but Charles sees as he shifts positions so that he’s nearer.

“When are we leaving?” he asks. Erik shifts his gaze over to Charles, but he at least has the compose to not look surprised though his mind is lighting up enough the Charles doesn’t have to break any of his rules to feel. “You’re getting ready, I can see it.”

“I was going to,” Erik trails off. Charles wants to prod and demand to know more, but Erik shifts his stance, brings up the rifle and then proceeds to fire six shots. Out of the corner of his eyes, Charles watches as a shadow he assumes to be one of the assassins vaults over something to go in closer. Another figure follows and then there’s Steve standing near them peering over the ledge to see if he can track any of the movements. Charles wants to delve into Erik’s mind, he wants to hold a private conversation, but a few more pops from a gun startles him out of the very thought.

“Sounds like we’re not getting sleep tonight,” Steve mutters. He looks back over his shoulder and calls out, “Bruce you up for another round?” Charles almost doesn’t hear the response as Thor gives out a battle cry before he leaps over the edge. Then the Hulk’s cry joins in. Charles presses himself against Erik as the big green mass rushes to help with the problem. The look on Steve’s face is grim as he too picks up his shield. “I want you two to stay up here. Stark.” Charles watches as Tony picks up his axe and just smirks.

“See ya around Charlie-boy, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, and if you do, well don’t get too distracted we might need your boy’s sharpshooting skills,” Tony calls out as he goes down into the fray as well. It takes quite a bit of Charles’ suspension of disbelief to not be shocked as Loki eventually saunters past.

“Can’t let my brother gain all the glory,” Loki tells them before he too leaps from the cliff. It’s silent once most of the party leaves. Charles licks his lips and looks up at Erik, he wants to have the conversation right then, to demand that Erik talk to him, but he’s aware that they need to be the look outs for everyone else. Wordlessly Erik hands the rifle over.

“This one will work for you. I’m going to grab one of the extras.” Charles would complain about Erik taking one of the junkier ones, but with bullets Erik is a master so he lets it go. Once Erik returns however, all Charles wants to do is ask and talk. He lasts ten minutes.

“Erik?” he begins.

“Yes?”

“When are we leaving?” Erik’s shoulders tighten.

“Why would you leave with me?” Erik asks instead.

“Why wouldn’t I? I mean, please Erik I’m not going to let you go, just like that!”

“Let me go? Charles, I don’t-” He cuts him off.

“No! I don’t own you, if you go I go! I still need you! We are not martyrs for each other! You proved that to me when you wouldn’t let me die when I was sick and I am sure that I proved that when I wouldn’t leave you! I go where you go.”

“Why?” Erik asks, and Charles is about to say it. He’s about to say the words he told Tony he couldn’t.

“Hey! Charlie! Could you two please give us some cover fire?” Tony shouts up to them. Charles clams up his fingers tighten around the gun he’s holding before he loosens them and lifts the gun up. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Erik do the same. The subject is dropped, but there is a part of Charles that knows that Erik isn’t leaving, not right then anyway. Erik is going to stay and when he leaves, Charles is going with him.   


End file.
